Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems may include one or more process chambers that are adapted to carry out any number of processes, such as degassing, cleaning or pre-cleaning, deposition such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), or atomic layer deposition, coating, oxidation, nitration, etching (e.g., plasma etch), or the like. Each of the process chambers may be included in a cluster tool where a plurality of process chambers may be distributed about a generally central transfer chamber, for example. These tools may employ a transfer robot that may be housed within the transfer chamber to transport substrates to and from the various process chambers. Conventionally, a slit valve is provided between the transfer chamber and each process chamber. An end effector (e.g., blade) of the transfer robot passes through the slit valve to place or extract a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer, glass plate, or the like) into or from a support (e.g., a pedestal or lift pins) provided within the process chamber.
Once the substrate is properly disposed within the process chamber, the slit valve may be closed, and the processing of the substrate may commence. As part of the processing, certain process gases may be introduced into the process chamber. Under some conditions, the flow in the process chamber may be non-uniform, which can lead to non-uniform processing (e.g., non-uniform etching, deposition, or the like). Various methods of controlling the gas flow in the process chamber have been previously used, such as using multiple inflow conduits and valves. However, such gas flow control systems tend to be very complicated and expensive, and still may not adequately address flow non-uniformities.
Accordingly, improved process chamber gas flow apparatus, systems, and methods are desired.